Silent Hearts
by The Providence Crow
Summary: Kingdom Hearts-Silent Hill crossover. All your favorite characters, all your favorite worlds...all seriously messed up. No really, I mean MESSED UP. Come on in,all the cool kids are doing it. Parings inside, contains het, yaoi, yuri.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, well, if you're here, you're hopefully familiar with Silent Hill, but if not, everything will be explained, so have no fear. I will be drawing from the movie, games, and comics. For those of you who have only seen the movie-the Christabella in this story is not the same as the one you saw there. She's originally from the comic series (which is bloody fantastic) and that's the character I'm using. ****Subliminal message: buy the comics.**

**Okay... So. Here are the pairings: AkuRoku, LarxNam, RiSoKai, XemSai, XigDem, LexZex, XalLux, MarVex, Sephiroth+Larxene, implied LuxordJack Sparrow and Luxord+Tia Dalma**

**I think that about covers it. This story will at certain points contain EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND TORTURE. You will be warned when these parts come up. IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH: Leave now. Seriously, just leave. You should now better than to look at anything involving Silent Hill. Flaming, should you feel it necessary, will be more or less ignored, unless I think you're funny, or you actually have a valid point.**

**_Here we go!_**

**_Chapter 1-Prologue _**

"You...You _rat! _You lying, cheating, fucking _rat_!" The undead eight year old beat her tiny hands against the air, fists thumping loudly as they collided with the unseen barrier. Long, black hair swung wildly behind her, the bloody, tattered mess of what used to be her stomach glaring out from the hole in her white funeral dress. "This wasn't part of the deal, asshole!"

Mickey watched her safely from the other side of the seal, his mouth curled into a disapproving frown. "Now, Christabella, you know language like that isn't nice. And you're right; this _wasn't_ a part of the deal. I can't tell you how sorry I am about all this. You brought us the baby and saved her from becoming The Order's new Sacrifice, and we all really appreciate that, but..." The Mouse King sighed. "Well, I have to agree with Ansem on this one. The fact is, you're much too dangerous to be given free reign. You and the rest of Silent Hill need to be contained."

Christabella's eyes flashed. "Ansem? Of _course._ That bastard, this'd _have _to be his idea, wouldn't it? You're not exactly the conniving type..." She unclenched her fists, trying to regain her composure. Putting on her most innocent expression, she smoothed out her dress and folded her hands neatly in front of her. "Look, let's talk about this. Ansem has _no idea_ what he's babbling about. Sealing me-_us_, rather-" She gestured to the various monstrosities that lurked behind her. "Is _completely_ unnecessary. What if I just promise to stay away from the worlds under your protection?"

Mickey shook his head unhappily. "I'm awfully sorry, but I can't _do_ that. You're...well, you've proven in the past to be less than trustworthy. And as much as I hate to pass judgment, there's no denying that you're an evil far greater than the heroes of my worlds are prepared to deal with. If you were to attack...well, golly, they'd be helpless! I can't have something like you running loose through the different worlds. Even the _bad guys_ wouldn't be safe from _you_. I can't in good conscience let you go free when I know that innocent people will suffer for it. Surely you can understand that, can't you?"

If looks could kill, the king would have been strung up by his own intestines.

Christabella snarled in fury. "You can't keep me in here forever, you little shit! I'll get _out_. We _all_ will. And I swear on all the demons and Elder Gods in this place, when I do, I'm coming straight for _you_. Every single one of your precious fucking worlds will be infected and corrupted by my will. I'm going to bring blood and pain and horror down on you and yours, and when I'm done, you'll _all_ be a part of Silent Hill. You'll be my fucking _minions._" She pointed again to the monsters behind her. "You'll be like _them_, do you hear me? Twisted, suffering _puppets_ who exist only to cater to my _whim_." The creatures behind her shifted about restlessly, agitated by the formidable ire that emanated from their petite mistress. "You dug your own grave, rat. Remember that when I'm destroying everything you love."

Mickey seemed entirely unimpressed. "Christabella, I hate to tell you this, but none of that's going to happen. This isn't an ordinary seal-unlike Whately and The Order, I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating you. You're sealed by your own power. If you grow stronger, so will the barrier that keeps you in."

The child cocked her head. "Bull_shit_. Lauryn's long gone, ditched this plane after her second battle with Whately. No fucking _way_ you found her and got her involved. And Dr. Troy is _dead_. _Again._ I saw that Goddess-thing kill him with my own eyes."

"You're not listening, Christabella; I said your power, I meant _your _power. Ansem used his research and my magic to find whatever was left of the little girl you used to be when you were alive. Your _goodness_, Christabella. With help from Alessa, we used that to make the binding spell that's holding you now. The only way out of here is to destroy that spell, and it's being held in my castle, far beyond your reach. As for Alessa, she's safe, too. She's sealed herself away from everyone, even _me_. Her last act before going into isolation was to make sure that you would never leave this place. You're well and truly trapped."

After taking a moment to process this, Christabella let out a shriek of rage.

Mickey bowed his head. "I really wish it could be different..." Shaking his head sadly, he vanished.

Christabella immediately left off her noise. "I think he bought it," She said, addressing the Pyramid Head that loomed off to her side. "Fucking idiot. Actually _told_ me everything I needed to know in order to get out. It's like he _wants_ me to annihilate him."

The rusty pyramid tilted to the side, questioningly.

"Oh, sure, he _talks_ a big game, and sealing me the way he did was pretty clever. It won't be easy to bust out. But..." And here she turned, facing the rest of her horde. "That douche-bag Ansem is fucking around with forces he can't even _begin_ to understand. With some kind of Darkness. It's not nearly as potent or powerful as _our_ kind of Darkness-more like a distant cousin-but it's close enough that I can sense it, feel the changes he's making to it. A few more years, and I think he'll be making a 'break-through' of sorts. _That's_ going to be our ticket out of here. And while _I _can't get out, things can still get _in_. All we have to do is wait. We'll be free soon enough, and then we can go and keep the promises we made to that rat-bastard Mickey. Won't that be fun?"

Her subjects shuffled about excitedly, letting her know that yes, they thought that would be quite fun indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, despite the overwhelming lack of response, I figured I'd go ahead and post chapter two. Not much Silent Hill in this one — it mostly focuses on re-introducing certain characters, but I think you'll like it anyway.**

_**Chapter 2—Sora, Riku, and Kairi (4 years after the events of KH2….)**_

"Did you make cookies?"

Sora's head snapped up from the Game Boy, eyes shifty. "Noooooooo…no cookies. Why would you think that?" He gave a nervous chuckle before turning back to his Pokemon game.

Riku rolled his eyes. "I don't know, Sora, maybe because the entire apartment smells like cookies? Not to mention the cookie crumbs still stuck in your goatee…"

"There are no cookies! There never _were_ any cookies! _You can't_ _handle the cookies_!"

The older boy blinked and shook his head. He had a feeling that he'd be in need of aspirin, shortly. "Look, Sora, I'm not upset, I just wanted to know if there were any left—"

"There's no such thing as cookies! I've never even _heard_ of cookies! _You can't prove anything!_"

Sora's voice was becoming progressively louder and more distressed, and this last volley of hysteria was followed by a long silence from Riku.

While he waited for Sora to get a hold of himself, he couldn't help but think that what with Sora's frequent outbursts and Kairi's penchant for singing along with rap music at ungodly noise levels, it was shocking that they hadn't been evicted yet. He idly wondered whether buying muzzles for the two brunettes would be considered inhumane. After Sora had calmed down a bit, Riku resumed his attempt at conversation.

"So, you made the cookies, but you ate them all."

Sora's head hung low with shame. "Yeeeeeees…"

Riku massaged his temples. "See, that's all I wanted to know."

The sound of the apartment door being opened distracted them both.

"_Lucy, I'm ho-ome!_" Kairi's voice rang out from the front hall.

Riku had just enough time to get an earful of Sora's joyous reply of "_Ba-ba-loooooooo!_" before being caught in a constricting sandwich-hug between the two of them. "Ah. You're home early, Kairi. Slow night at the club?" He managed to choke out, struggling for air all the while.

"Uh-huh. I mean, it's a freakin' Tuesday, right? Who goes clubbing on _Tuesday_? No people, no need for music, and no need for the fabulous DJ Paopu." She managed to gesture towards herself without releasing her death grip on her two lovers.

Sora snuggled closer to both of them. "We _always _need DJ Paopu. Right, Riku?"

Riku nodded tersely. "Right, right. Hey, guys, you know what'd be awesome? If I could _breathe_."

Kairi snorted. "Oh, please. You make it sound like breathing is _important_." But she did release him, and Sora followed suit.

Riku smoothed out his shirt, making unhappy noises. "For future reference, please feel free to never do that again." He paused, then added with a smirk, "At least not while I'm _clothed_."

--

All things considered, the past four years had been relatively uneventful for the trio. Things had calmed down pretty much immediately after the defeat of Organization Thirteen. There was some measure of panic in all three of them, when, upon their return to Destiny Islands, they had found a mysterious letter from King Mickey waiting for them. They had opened it with dread, expecting, naturally, some new threat to the Universe-As-They-Knew-It. What they found instead were three, fully paid college scholarships to any university on any world. The letter included free room and board (both on and off-campus) and a large check for each of them.

Apparently, when you rescued multiple worlds from sure destruction—_twice_—you were entitled to some kind of reward. At least, that was how the King seemed to feel. Sora, for his part, was under the impression that accepting a reward was wrong somehow, and was trying to figure out how to send the bottle _back_ when Riku and Kairi told him (in no uncertain terms) to shut up and take the freaking munny. At any rate, the three of them decided to sit down and discuss what their plans for the future would be.

Riku found that, after his experiences with darkness and the nature of hearts, he was quite fascinated by these subjects and wanted to pursue them as further learning. He wrote down what he had learned from his own adventures and decided that he would continue Ansem's original studies—albeit his research would be purely observational and devoid of experimentation. Riku was not about to go around creating _more_ Heartless and Nobodies, not now that they'd gotten _rid_ of them. He would be an odd combination of philosopher and scientist, and his companions agreed that he would be well suited to such a vocation.

Sora, on the other hand, found that after _his_ experience with darkness and the nature of hearts, that he was quite fascinated with cookies, and wished to look into _that_ as an area of further study. Shortly after this realization, Sora announced to Kairi and Riku his intention to pursue a career as a world-class dessert chef. He pleasantly surprised them both by turning out to be a rather excellent cook.

Both boys had been eager to know what Kairi had been up to in their absence, and as it turned out, her interests had turned towards music. With both of her best friends gone, and one of them very nearly _forgotten_, Kairi had been left with Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka as pretty much her only companions. Kairi was quite fond of Selphie, but unfortunately, the girl insisted on playing Paris Hilton CD's whenever they hung out. Kairi found that she much preferred Tidus' Gangsta Rap and Wakka's Hip-Hop and _Reggaton_, and, after borrowing a couple of CD's from the boys and a Paris Hilton CD from Selphie, Kairi decided it was time to commence Operation: De-Crapify Selphie's Music.

After talking her parents into buying her a set of turntables, Kairi taught herself how to work them with surprising aptitude. Then, after messing around with the Garage Band application on her computer, Kairi began work on her first great masterpiece. Three days later, she gathered her friends together at her house and proudly handed them a CD. "Listen," she commanded.

Selphie popped it into the stereo, and her eyes widened with awe. It was her Paris Hilton CD, remixed to perfection. Everyone had to admit that Kairi's doctored disc far surpassed the original.

"You put some Ivy Queen in there, ya?" Wakka asked, his voice reverent.

"And Lil' Wayne! And Chamillionaire! I _definitely_ heard them!" Added Tidus.

Selphie was speechless for some time. Finally, she managed to squeak out, "It…it sounds _great_! What did you _do_ to it?"

Kairi folded her arms, tossed her hair over one shoulder, and haughtily declared, "I _fixed_ it."

Kairi's remixes grew in popularity and fame amongst the islanders, and it was a natural decision for her to want to make a living off her music. That settled, she felt that courses in music appreciation and music theory would be right up her alley.

Now that they knew what they wanted to do with themselves, Kairi, Riku, and Sora set about looking for a college that would cater to all three of their interests. As luck would have it, Destiny U was well equipped to handle this, and so the trio would not have to leave home. With their academic lives pretty much settled, the three friends immediately fell back into their normal routines.

At least, they tried to.

There was a tension pervading the air that had not been present previously, and all of them felt it. There was an awkwardness any time they were alone together, a sense of something under the surface that was unresolved. Each had their own theories, but none were spoken aloud.

For Riku, it was obviously his betrayal that had caused this unease. He had turned his back on his friends, and now, neither he nor they could forget it. It was an indelible stain in the back of everyone's mind — Riku's in particular. Despite the assurances of forgiveness from Sora and Kairi, the fact remained that Riku could not forgive himself. He carried a Darkness with him, and while it — _she _— was not malevolent, she was there, and she served as a constant, though unintentional reminder.

For Kairi, it was her lack of involvement, of _strength_. While Sora and Riku had been struggling with darkness, she had been twiddling her thumbs in captivity. It was humiliating, and more than that, it was distancing. She found herself relying more and more on her internal conversations with Namine for comfort—Namine, who had been in such a similar situation. Despite herself, Kairi found that she was disappointed in her Other, though she desperately worked to keep Namine from finding out. The girl had so much _power_. Had she thought to use it, she could have left Castle Oblivion at any time, destroyed the minds of her captors and gone free.

It made Kairi look at herself, and wonder: why hadn't she put up more of a fight against the Heartless? For that matter, why hadn't she put up more of a fight against _Axel_? Looking back, she was sure she could've taken the skinny bastard. There was a weakness in Kairi, and in Namine as well. It had kept her from her friends before, and now, it was doing it again.

For Sora, it was a lack of comprehension—there were so many things he still didn't understand. The Organization bothered him. All the while he'd been fighting, something had felt…wrong. They'd been looking for hearts and going to any lengths to obtain them. They'd been hurting people, he understood that, but with the exception of maybe Larxene, none of them had really seemed…_bad_. There was one in particular, a water elemental, he couldn't remember the name. In fact, he was a little fuzzy about the fight itself. The boy —f or he had been only a boy, not much older than Sora himself — had done nothing threatening, and yet, something had goaded Sora on.

He'd _killed_ him, and for the life of him, Sora couldn't figure out _why_. There was something truly awful about that, he thought. He had a sense of many more things that had escaped his understanding, and the frustrating part was that he couldn't put his finger on _what those things were._ More than anything, he wanted to talk to Roxas, to see if maybe he knew something that Sora didn't. He could feel him in the back of his head, but whether it was Roxas' doing or his own, Sora just couldn't seem to reach him.

And so, things progressed through high school like this, with Riku, Sora and Kairi desperately trying to be comfortable with each other again. It wasn't until the trio began college that things were finally resolved, and it was discovered that the actual problem had _nothing_ to do with _any_ of their theories.

--

It was the first year of college for Sora and Kairi and the second for Riku when Kairi decided enough was enough. Sora and Riku were roommates at the time, while Kairi lived in an apartment by herself and hated every minute of it. She felt more distant than ever from the boys, but she also felt that Sora was not quite ready for the conversation she wanted to have. So, she set up for Riku to come over to her place by himself. They expected to have a heart-to-heart and resolve their own issues before talking to Sora.

They did not expect to have sex.

"I cannot _believe_ we just did that," groaned Kairi, her head resting on Riku's bare chest.

Riku blinked lazily and murmured, "I can…"

Kairi snorted and punched him lightly in the arm before sitting up, clasping the sheets to her breasts. "Look, Riku, I don't want this to come out the wrong way. I enjoyed myself, I really did, but…didn't that seem…"

"…Wrong, somehow?" Riku nodded. "Yeah, I felt that too. Like something was…"

"…Missing. That's what I thought. I mean…" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I love you Riku. I think you know that. But there's also—"

Riku sat up abruptly. "Sora?"

Kairi nodded. ""You're not mad, are you? Because I—"

Riku cut her off with laughter. "Mad? Of course not. I feel exactly the same. It took me a while to figure it out, but I think it's fairly safe to say that I love you both as _more_ than just friends."

"So….we both love each other. But we also both love Sora." She looked at Riku's calm demeanor and made a face. "This doesn't seem at all weird to you?"

He gave her a rather deadpan stare. "Kairi, I was trapped in the heartless body of an evil thirty-year-old man for months, fought my best friend's Nobody, visited all manner of nasty, dark places during that time, and I _still_ have voices in my head. I've forgotten what's weird and how to react to it. Cut me some slack."

Kairi frowned, then nodded her head. "Fair enough. From now on, I'll tell you whether or not you should be weirded out. This is one of those times."

"Duly noted."

"So…now what do we do?"

Riku lay back with his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "I think that's pretty obvious. We talk to Sora."

Kairi laughed out loud. "Pffft. C'mon, Riku, do you really think he'd _get_ it?"

Riku held his hands up defensively. "I didn't _say_ he'd get it. I just said we should _talk_ to him."

Kairi was quiet for a moment, then said with a grin, "We should prob'ly put some clothes on, first."

Riku cracked a small smile. "If you insist…"

--

Sora was a happy, happy boy. That was his general state of being, but it was particularly so when he was playing Katamari. So entranced was he that he only vaguely registered the knock on the door. "I almost have a cow!" He hollered. Whoever was knocking correctly interpreted that as, "I am playing Katamari, but you are most welcome to let yourself in nevertheless, dear visitor." Kairi and Riku entered, both looking tired and somewhat disheveled. Not that Sora noticed.

Riku began with "Look, Sora, we need to—" but was abruptly cut off by Kairi, who shouted,

"Sora! Sex! _Now_."

The astonished Riku opened and closed his mouth a few times before nodding weakly. "What she said."

Sora's brain, fully focused on cow ownage, did not quite comprehend, although he probably wouldn't have under normal circumstances, either. "What? That's not part of this game…"

Kairi sighed. "I'll get the front, you get the back?"

"Works for me."

Sora was still somewhat befuddled. "Huh? Back of wha-AH-OH!"

--

Things went quite well until the trio reached climax, at which point Sora, still clutching the controller, sat up and screamed, "I HAS A PLANET!" before collapsing back and falling happily into slumber. Kairi stared at the TV screen in disbelief.

"He…_He's been playing that damn game this whole time_?" She made as if to wake Sora and berate him, but Riku pulled her back down, clutching both of his friends a bit closer to him.

"Leave it. It's just how he is. Besides, doesn't this feel like the way things should be?"

Kairi settled back, anger fading. "Yeah. It absolutely does."

The two fell asleep holding each other and Sora between them, and for the first time in years, all three felt truly connected again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jesus. over 200 hits, and only two reviews...you guys are killin' me, you know that? At this point, I'd be happy to see even a flame...**

_**Chapter 3—Awakening (4 years after the events of KH2)**_

**I**

The first thing Xemnas noticed was that he could notice things again. It had been a while since he'd had that particular luxury—or, in fact, any luxury. He inhaled, marveling at the sensation of lungs expanding. How long had he been dead? And what had happened to his Kingdom Hearts? Was he _still_ dead? He wasn't sure.

He sat up—always a good sign. After looking around, he immediately wished he hadn't. Xemnas had never believed in Hell, but he had a feeling that that's where he was now. Oddly enough, it appeared to be some sort of church. There were two features that made it seem drastically unholy, however. The first was the paintings: burning children, hellish, nightmare monsters, lewd sex-scenes between afore-mentioned nightmare monsters, and mangled, writhing human bodies. The second was the fact that the walls seemed to be made of raw, bleeding meat.

None of this was your typical church fare.

Xemnas shuddered. Perhaps the others were around. If so, they could try to rebuild Kingdom Hearts…but first they'd have to get out of this miserable place. Xemnas stood and began searching for his underlings and fellow Nobodies.

--

**II**

Xigbar wanted to know where the hell he was, but more importantly, he wanted to know where the hell _Demyx_ was. He'd made a promise, and he'd broken it.

"_You'll be fine, kiddo. Just get the Olympus stone, the Key-Bearer won't hurt you. When this is over, we'll have our hearts, and you'll never have to fight anyone again."_

He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been…but it was Roxas! Who'd have thought Roxas would have it in him to kill poor, sweet Demyx_? _Now that he was alive again, he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice—once he found him, he would not allow the Nocturne out of his sight. Something inside Xigbar said that Demyx would be around. He _needed_ him to be. He needed to be there, because Xigbar had failed him, and Xigbar needed to make it up to him.

"_I'll totally protect you, Demyx. Promise."_

He needed to keep Demyx safe, this time. Xigbar surveyed his surroundings. He had woken up lying in the middle of an empty street. An unsettlingly heavy fog coated the ground, obscuring Xigbar's view. He closed his eyes, unable to recognize anything familiar. He had to find Demyx, though. This place gave him the creeps, which meant Demyx would probably be terrified. Not to mention the fact that he could just make out ambiguously disturbing shapes moving around, silhouetted in the mist. Taking a deep breath, he picked a direction and started walking.

--

**III**

Xaldin opened his eyes, blinked, and decided to go right back to being dead.

_Fuck this. I am _not _going through _this_ again. I liked being dead _so_ much better._

The closest he managed was to fall asleep. Some ass-hat (most likely that damn Luxord) would probably wake him up, but in the meantime, sleep would do.

--

**IV**

Vexen woke with a start, still screaming for mercy. Wild-eyed, he looked around. He seemed to be in the lobby of a thoroughly unfamiliar hotel. The last thing he remembered was burning to death, begging for his life while Axel watched with amusement.

_Axel_. The traitorous, murderous, filthy bastard would pay soon enough. First things first, though.

_Get oriented. Take stock. Assess your condition. Wait for the right opportunity._

_Hit him where it hurts._

--

**V**

Lexaeus awoke to an unnerving landscape of rusted metal, and blackened, broken concrete. While certainly a disturbing thing to resurrect to, what bothered Lexaeus was the fact that Zexion was nowhere in sight.

This was to be corrected immediately.

The large man moved with surprising grace and silence as he stood and began his search for The Schemer.

--

**VI**

Zexion was shaken roughly into consciousness by a pair of large, but gentle hands.

"Are you alright?" A voice that rumbled like an earthquake demanded anxiously.

Zexion's eyes fluttered open. "L-Lexaeus? What are you—"

"Are you hurt? Do you have any broken bones?"

Zexion's adrenalin levels surged as he was bodily lifted off the ground and thoroughly examined for injuries. He had been groggy before, but being dangled in the air like an emo yo-yo had him completely awake.

"Lexaeus, I'm _fine_. Your concern, while appreciated, is misplaced. You may put me _down_ now, if you please." His words came out rather muffled, however, as the larger man pressed him tightly to his chest. Zexion squirmed a bit before resigning himself to it. It was best to let his lover see for himself that Zexion was fine—it would be the only way to ease his worries.

"I lost you. I'm sorry. I should have protected you better." Lexaeus murmured softly into his ear.

"Don't be ridiculous. You've nothing to apologize fo—" His words were cut off by a decidedly female shriek of rage and despair resounding in the distance.

Lexaeus furrowed his brow. "Was that…Larxene?"

Zexion's lip curled in disgust at the mention of the Nymph. "I certainly _hope_ so. It would be lovely to hear _her_ in anguish."

Zexion's malice brought forth a chuckle from Lexaeus, and the Silent Hero stroked the messy, slate-gray hair affectionately.

"Do you think _all_ of the others are here? I can smell some of them…"

Lexaeus thought for a minute, then nodded. "Yes, I'm sure they are. It would probably be best to find them. I have…a rather terrible feeling about being here. I think it would be wise to increase our number."

Zexion sighed miserably. "I thought you'd say as much…"

--

**VII**

Saix, in true werewolf fashion, heard Xigbar before he saw him. The Free-Shooter was breathing hard and stumbling about recklessly through the rubble of concrete and steel.

"_Demyx!_ _Demyx! Where are you?!_"

Saix shook himself off like a dog and rose up onto his knees. "Xigbar! Over here."

Xigbar's head jerked around so hard, Saix was surprised he didn't give himself whiplash. The joy in his face drained when he saw it was VII, not IX, who had answered his call. "Saix! Dude, _please_ tell me you've seen Demyx!"

The berserker snorted. "Nice to see you, too, Xigbar. And no, I haven't."

Xigbar sighed unhappily. "Sorry 'bout the rude greeting, my man. It's just…this place is fuckin' creepy, right? And dude, if Dem wakes up by himself, the little guy is gonna _freak_ the shit _out_."

Saix smiled thinly at his elder's crude language. "Yes, that seems about right. I take it you wish to find him before that happens?"

"Hell _yeah_, I do…hey! Can you do a werewolf number and sniff him out for me?"

Saix sighed. "Alright, why not."

After several minutes of walking around with his nose in the air, sniffing furiously, the moon elemental finally caught Demyx's scent. He pointed towards what was apparently a large and rather ominous hospital. "In there."

"Does he smell okay?"

Blue eyebrows quirked in confusion at the decidedly odd question. "I…suppose so? A bit sweaty, but—"

"No, no! I mean, does he smell like he's hurt?"

"Oh. _Oh_. No, nothing like that, Xigbar. He's perfectly fine. Scared out of his wits, though. I don't think I've smelled that much fear since…well, I've _never_ smelled that much fear."

Xigbar squared his shoulders. "Take me to him."

Saix nodded, though he felt it was a waste of time. Demyx would most likely be fine, and he wanted to find Xemnas.

Stupid_, stupid_ Xemnas.

Despite his devotion to the man—and yes, his _respect_ for him, he could not help but marvel at how easily they had all been destroyed. It was one series of stupid blunders after the other—a _child_ could have done a better job of leading. Indeed, a child had been the one to _defeat _them. And yet, Saix knew in the place where his heart should be, that if Xemnas were to rise up once more and demand that they follow through with a newer, _stupider_ plan, he would go along with it without question.

Because dammit, that was what you were _supposed_ to do. You followed the pack leader, you supported him, you protected him—even if he _was_ a bad leader. It was a code he'd followed throughout his life, and he certainly wasn't going to stop now that he was dead. Besides, in Halloween Town, death had never been much of a deterrent anyway.

--

**VIII**

_Roxas._

That was Axel's first thought, followed quickly by:

_Fuck._

All that melodrama, that ridiculous, sappy speech, and now he was _alive_ again? He mentally bitch-slapped himself, then pried his eyes open.

He had to blink a few times to make sure that his eyes actually _were_ open. It was completely dark. Pitch-freaking-_black_. Axel felt that things could absolutely _not_ get any worse.

And that's when he heard the slurping noises.

_Oh, FUCK no. _

Axel silently cursed karma, fate, luck, the gods, Moses, Buddha, himself, and anyone else he could think of (particularly Ansem, Riku, and Xemnas). Not only was he actually _alive_ again, but now he was…he didn't know _where_ the hell he was. Hell, maybe. And apparently, he wasn't the only one here, as was indicated by the horrible slurping sounds that drew ever closer. He remembered a saying from the Old Country (which in Axel's family had meant "Ireland") that his mother used to tell him—"May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you're dead"—and thought bitterly that he seemed to have no such luck.

He paused to reflect for a moment on his family (which had been quite large) and wonder if they had survived the Heartless attack, but was interrupted by a particularly loud _sssssluuuuuuuurp_. Discarding the hope that it was just some shmuck with a Slurpee and giving way to panic, Axel tried to summon his chakrams…to absolutely no effect. Truly afraid now, he attempted calling forth a blaze. A small flame sparked between his fingers, then sizzled out.

The brief glimpse of light was enough to show him what was slurping.

_Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO._

It looked like some sick combination of a skinless man and…and…he didn't know, a fucking _anteater _or something. Its long, shriveled snout was snuffling along the floor, red tongue flicking out to lick up what appeared to be flakes of dried blood and rust that coated the ground.

Axel was now very glad that he could no longer see. Backing away from where he had last seen the slurper, the Flurry desperately began searching for a place to hide.

--

**IX**

Demyx woke up in what he thought was a hospital bed, unsure of where he was, or how he got there. He'd been pleasantly dreaming of his old home in Atlantica for what seemed like forever—how long had he been asleep? Yawning and stretching he swung his legs over the side, but before his feet could touch the floor, his ears were met with a macabre symphony that sent chills down his spine and made his blood run cold.

The clicking of stiff tendons, stretched tight by _rigor mortis_. Soft, anguished moans voiced by a chorus of sexually maimed women. A sharp clack of high-heels striking tile floor. The paper-like rustling of dead skin. Demyx felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and with a cold dread, turned and looked over his shoulder. There were at least a dozen of the things crowding the back of the small hospital room.

Nurses. They were dressed like nurses.

Demyx bit back a scream, releasing only a hollow gagging noise. The nurses cocked their blistered, faceless heads in perfect unison, each taking a painfully awkward step forward, bodies quivering and jutting into strange angles.

_They're attracted to sound…_

Demyx closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. He realized with no small amount of horror that he had no idea what to do next.

"_Demyx!_"

The demonic caretakers twisted their bodies towards the voice at the door. _Xigbar's_ voice.

He and Saix stood in the doorway, looking just as horrified as Demyx by the dead women surrounding him. Both of the older Nobodies tried to summon their weapons, only to watch in shock as _nothing happened_.

"Demyx, I'm coming!"

The nurses twitched towards the doorway again, and Xigbar disappeared in an attempt to teleport over to Demyx. He reappeared only a few feet away from his previous location.

"What the…" Xigbar looked up at the oncoming nurses, completely defenseless.

There was an ear-splitting yowl from outside the hospital window. The women pivoted, attention fully focused on the newer, louder sound. Demyx saw his opening and sprinted across the floor to Xigbar, who grabbed his hand and dragged him the rest of the way out of the room. Saix, who was still waiting in the hallway, slammed the door shut behind them. The three exchanged glances, then took off at a dead run down the hall.

It was a long time before they stopped. Xigbar took Demyx by the shoulders. "Did they hurt you, kid?"

"What? No, no, I'm cool. But…man, that was _scary_! What _were _they, Xiggy?"

"I dunno, little dude. But they weren't Heartless, and they _damn_ sure weren't like _us_. Saix, do _you_ know what they were?"

"Dead…but other than that, no. We didn't have anything _close_ to that in Halloween Town. _We_ were just scary. _Those_ were disturbing on a level that far surpasses ghosts and goblins." The werewolf-turned-Nobody shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"I'm just glad they're gone." Demyx shuddered, then began murmuring to himself. He had the rather distinctive habit of thinking out loud, and talked to himself often. "Geez, I'd give anything to be back in Atlantica. If it weren't for Xiggy and Saix, I'd prob'ly be _toast_ by now. Hey, Xigbar and Saix just totally saved my butt! I should, like, say thanks or something. Waaaait a minnit…Xigbar? _Xigbar_!" On impulse, the Nocturne sprung into action, delivering a rather impressive tackle-hug that nearly knocked Xigbar backwards.

"Xiggy! I missed you!"

The gunman grinned and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I know, kiddo, I missed you too." He followed this with another kiss, and another, and another.

Saix coughed loudly. "Don't mind me. After all, it's not as if we have _better_ things to do, like, say, finding Xemnas. And it's _certainly_ not awkward to be a captive audience while you make out."

Demyx blushed and buried his head into Xigbar's chest. The Free-Shooter merely stuck his tongue out. "You're just jealous because Xemmy never gives you any." This was received with giggles from Demyx and a disapproving frown from Saix.

"If you'd prefer to stay in the hospital…"

"As _if_! I _hate_ hospitals. Especially ones with creepy, yet somehow attractive nurses. Let's go find the boss-man."

--

**X**

Luxord awoke in a strange bed. This was not at all unusual under normal circumstances, (he could remember many enjoyable mornings-after with many a lovely tavern wench in the Tortugas) but it _was_ unusual when he was supposed to be dead. Getting up, he was severely disappointed to see that there was no on in bed _with _him. Luxord decided that he needed to find either a good lay or a casino _immediately_. With this in mind he ventured out of his tackily upholstered room and out into the hall.

He was quite pleased to find Xaldin curled up and sleeping just outside his door.

_Smashing. One of two goals already met, _he thought with a smirk. _What incredible luck. As always. _"Oh, Xaaaaaldin…"

One violet eye cracked open. "Oh, goddammit. Why _you_? Why is it _always_ you?"

The smirk widened. "Lovely to see you too, Xally. Come on then, wakey wakey."

Xaldin growled and rolled over, away from Luxord. "_No_. Now go away, I'm trying to get dead again."

"Oh, but that sounds horribly dull, love. I'm sure I can find something much more _interesting_ for you to do. Now, get up, or I'll come _down_." So saying, the blond squatted next to Xaldin and ran one long, gloved finger down his spine.

The Lancer jerked violently and leapt to his feet. "Damned horny Brit! Can't you find someone else to sexually harass?"

"But Xally, you're the only one with dreadlocks! You _know_ how those turn me on…" he purred, reaching one hand out to toy with Xaldin's hair. This was perfectly true—Luxord had always been fond of dreadlocks, even when he'd had a heart. Jack Sparrow and Tia Dalma could attest to _that_. Xaldin snorted in disgust and batted the hand away. He turned to stalk off…slamming directly into Vexen.

"IV! Oh, thank God! Someone _sane_."

Vexen shook himself off, looking somewhat disgruntled but quickly getting over it and forgiving his comrade. The man had been trying to escape from unwanted sexual attention—something Vexen could certainly sympathize with. "Ah. Xaldin. Good to see you're alive and well. Luxord, always a pleasure. Up to business as usual, I presume?"

Luxord had draped himself over Xaldin's right arm, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Xaldin, for his part, looked rather harried, and despite his best efforts could not seem to shake the Gambler off. Sighing, he seemed to accept his fate. "Should we look for the others? If we're alive, I can only assume they are as well."

Vexen nodded. "A good idea. We should find Xemnas, see if he's responsible for this. As for the rest of the organization…I suppose we'll worry about them after we find the Superior."

"Agreed." Xaldin made as if to move forward, but Luxord held him back.

"Wouldn't you rather let Vexen go on ahead? We can catch up to him later…"

"_No_."

--

**XI**

Marluxia's ear was invaded by Larxene's shrill scream of ire and misery, dragging him from the world of sleep. _Damn that woman, waking me up from a perfectly good…death? _His eyes snapped open. Yes, death. He'd been _dead_. That brat with the key had beaten him, beaten _all _of them, unthinkable as it was. And now…

He was alive again. And judging by the sound of it, so was Larxene. Groaning loudly, he pulled himself up off the slab of broken concrete he'd been lying on and went to go look for his sadistic friend. Marluxia frowned. The last time he'd woken up on a surface this uncomfortable, he'd been a Gypsy assassin plotting the death of a cruel "Holy Man" in the underground Court Of Miracles. And he'd had a heart. He grumbled to himself as he walked. Bloody Key-Bearer. Bloody Axel. Bloody Namine. Bloody Vexen.

_Vexen_. There was an unexpectedly pleasant thought. Lovely, pale, thin Vexen. A small smile curved his lips as he tromped his way through rust and ruins, trying to get to where he'd heard the scream come from. The man had resisted mightily, but eventually, he had succumbed to Marluxia's charms. _Everyone_ did. It had pained him greatly to order his paramour's death, but then it hadn't really been _his_ idea, and having Axel do it was far kinder than the alternative. He couldn't help but brood about the affair. He had _just_ managed to get the ice princess into bed, and then Larxene went and ruined everything.

Speaking of Larxene, she was not far away. When he found her, she was covered in blood that wasn't hers, in a fit of rage, and sitting next to the body of a mutilated…_something_. A dog, perhaps.

"Larxene?" He called softly, not wanting to startle the volatile young woman.

The blond head whipped around. When she saw him, her rage lessened some, but not by much. "Marluxia! _I can't find them!_"

Her words came out sounding like a snarl, though Marluxia felt secure in the knowledge that her anger was not directed at him. "Can't find what, Larxene?" He spoke soothingly, as though trying to calm a vicious, half-wild beast—which, in fact, he was.

"My _kunai_! I can't get them to come to me! My lightning's gone, too!" She picked up a rock from the rubble surrounding her and hurled it forcefully at the remnants of a brick wall, letting out another frustrated snarl as she did do.

Marluxia frowned at her immature display and stared at the pile of mangled meat that lay beside her. "What _is_ that? And how did you do _that_ to it if you don't have your kunai?"

Larxene followed his gaze and looked proudly at her handiwork, her anger slowly fading. "That? I have no idea what it was, other than in the wrong place at the wrong time. I used my teeth." She smiled prettily, her normally white bicuspids still streaked with blood.

Ah, yes, that certainly sounded like the Savage Nymph that Marluxia was so fond of. "Well, if you're quite finished, perhaps you'd like to accompany me? I'm going to try and get out of this horrid place."

She looked up at him, genuinely perplexed. "What? Why would you want to leave?"

Marluxia looked around. They were in a field of fire-blasted, broken down buildings. Thick fog swirled around them, and shadowy figures scurried in the background. Occasionally, he would hear sounds so disturbing, he couldn't help but wonder if he was going mad. Now that he thought about it, it seemed like a paradise for Larxene. No wonder she wanted to stay…but then, he'd always maintained that the petite woman was quite thoroughly twisted.

That was probably why they got along so well.

"If we're alive, that means the rest of the Organization will be, too. The Organization we _betrayed_. Do you _really_ want to run the risk of meeting any of them?" Honestly, she could be so _dense_ sometimes. Marluxia couldn't help but feel that he was the only one with any sense in the entire Organization.

"You don't think we can take them?"

"Not without our weapons and elements, no."

Larxene pouted. "But I _like_ it here. Why can't we stay and just _avoid_ the stupid pricks?"

Marluxia sighed wearily. Larxene could be extremely child-like and tiresome when she chose to be and this was apparently one of those times. It made him wonder why he deigned to put up with her foolishness. Then he remembered: next to himself, he considered her to be the most ruthless, cunning, and dangerous Nobody in non-existence, and therefore, the only one who was really worthy of associating with him. "We should at least get a feel for our surroundings, don't you think?" He extended his hand towards her. "Be reasonable, my dear Nymph. Now, come along."

Said Nymph merely stared at him, that faintest twinge of hostility tainting her lovely green eyes. It took Marluxia a moment to realize what he'd done wrong—he'd made his request a command, and his companion didn't respond well to commands. After all, this _was_ the woman who had helped him plot to destroy every other member of the Organization simply because she was tired of them telling her what to do—well, that, and the fact that Xemnas had taken her favorite toy away, though that was probably best. Namine would have died if Larxene had kept her any longer.

Marluxia sighed, clearing his head. He extended his hand once more. "My apologies, Larxene. What I meant was; will you please join me as I survey our new environment?"

Larxene smiled and took his hand. "Why, certainly, my dear Assassin. I would be _delighted_." Arm in arm, the pair strolled off into the mist.

--

**XII**

Larxene's morning had been an peculiar one, needless to say. She had opened her eyes to the sight of a dog standing over her, sniffing curiously.

A _skinless_ dog. Interesting.

She noted its eyeless features, the mummified-looking flesh that appeared cracked and raw in some places, the brown clumps of fur that clung in stubborn clumps here and there, the wonderfully wicked claws. Most of all, the hideously long, red tongue hanging limply from a fanged mouth reminiscent of a snake's. Somewhere in the back of her head, she was aware that this should have frightened her, but the most she could muster was intrigue.

Larxene smiled. Nothing like a little animal abuse to help start the day. She sat up abruptly, startling the creature, which gave a small whine and backed away from her. Her intended victim seemed to sense that it was an intended victim. Smart doggy.

Not that it mattered.

"Aww, poor puppy. Did I scare you?"

The dog's raw, blood stained ears pricked forward. She held her hand out and made kissing sounds, and tentatively, the animal stepped towards her. When it was close enough, she made her move. Her hand shot out, catching the surprised creature by the throat. Her captive whimpered piteously and put up a mighty struggle to free itself, and Larxene giggled like a schoolgirl. "Time to play, puppy!" She lilted, voice sugar-sweet.

The dog wisely increased its struggle. Tightening her grip, she sent a massive jolt through the panicked dog's body—or rather, she tried to. A tiny shock was produced, but nothing else. Larxene's eyes widened. "_What?!_" Holding the dog steady with one hand, she tried summoning her kunai, with no result.

The Savage Nymph threw her head back and screamed.

Throwing the unfortunate dog to the ground, she delivered a vicious kick to its ribs, and with no small satisfaction heard them crack. Her prey yipped and tried to struggle to its feet, only to have Larxene's booted heel come down on its neck, pinning it in place.

"So. No lightning. No kunai. Guess we'll just play _this_ game the _old school_ way, huh, puppy?"

The trapped animal increased its struggle, and Larxene felt a familiar thrill run through her body—an inherited wildness, handed down by her mother and her mother's mother—the cruel and unbridled joy of the Maenads, the chosen of Dionysus, the savage nymphs of wine and wilderness. Blood running high and hot, Larxene closed her eyes and remembered the wonderful feast that was Orpheus, the last meal she had shared with her mother.

Smiling, she began her own feast in a manner fitting for one of the Bacchante—with the meal still alive and screaming.

Marluxia arrived too late to participate, but he probably would have declined, anyway. She was certainly happy to see him, although she was shocked and somewhat angered by his attempt to command her. Really, he was a smart man, he ought to know better, _especially _after the Castle Oblivion incident…and Namine. But the Assassin quickly made amends, and now they were making their way through the loveliest terrain she could remember since the days when she would visit her dear Uncle and play in his Underworld as a child. She smiled and whistled tunelessly to herself.

Her companion cocked an eyebrow at her, clearly wondering what there was to be so cheerful about. Larxene merely shook her head. "Just remembering the good old days, Marly, dear."

--

**Riku**

**Something's happened. Something**_** very bad.**_

Riku bolted upright in bed, suddenly wide-awake. Sora and Kairi stirred on each side of him, but neither woke up.

_What? What happened?_

**I'm not…sure. But they're waking up in the Darkness. They're being called, the Nobody people, the dead ones. And there's something else—something worse. It's HER. She's made her move, she's trying to get out.**

_Who's trying to get out? Out of where?_

**She's going to build them up, make them stronger than they ever were. She's going to get OUT she wants to get him back by getting to all of you she wants to come OUT OUT OUT SHE'S WAKING UP THE DEAD ONES AND CALLING THEM TO HER**

_Who?! What are you talking about?! Dead ones? You're not making any sense!_

**She won't get you I won't let her get you I'll keep you SAFE **

_You're scaring me, now. What's going on? Who are you trying to protect me from?_

**SHE'S GETTING OUT SHE'S BRINGING THEM ALL WITH HER THE DEAD ONES ARE WITH HER SHE WANTS TO MAKE THE WORLDS BLEED AND SCREAM I WON'T LET HER GET YOU SAFE SAFE SAFE**

_Calm down and get a hold of yourself! I can't understand you when you get like this. Now, tell me what's coming._

**I…I'll try…it hurts…to make sense…I…**

**I WON'T LET HER GET YOU **

**THE DEAD ARE WAKING UP**

**HELL IS BREAKING LOOSE**

**SILENT HILL IS COMING**

And just as suddenly as it began to speak, Riku's Darkness fell silent.

He didn't sleep the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ho, snap! I actually got some reviews! Really nice ones, at that! I'd like to thank you all who actually bothered to give me feedback. I wasn't going to post this until Sunday, but y'all put me in such I good mood, I decided I'd speed it up for you.**

_**Chapter 4—The Devil's Dealings**_

It drew them.

In pairs, in threes, or by themselves, the church drew them.

The closer they got, the farther away the resurrected Nobodies wanted to be—evil emanated from the building, suffocating them, crushing their lungs and throats. And still, they came closer. Once inside, the strangling feeling intensified, and against their will, they assembled in a circle in the middle of the church. No one spoke or made eye contact, no one touched, no one knew what they were doing or why. Enemies and friends stood side by side, helplessly frozen in place by a force that resonated deep within their bones. Without warning, a red-tinted light hit them in an almost tangible blast.

"About _time_ you fuckers woke up." A child was standing calmly in the middle of the circle, white funeral dress bloodstained and torn. She cast a condescending glance around her, taking them in one by one. "You're even sorrier than I expected. You'd better be worth the energy I expended to call you here."

Xemnas snorted, indignation overpowering his bewilderment. "Child," he said, displeasure saturating his tone, "I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing or who you think you are, but _we_—"

"Are Nobodies. _Nothing_. I already know, and believe me, you're nothing to be concerned about. You're the bunch of pussies that got your _asses_ handed to you by a fifteen-year-old with a fucking _key_. As for who _I_ am…" The girl snapped her fingers, and the power that had drawn them to the church came crashing down violently on them. The Nobodies crumpled and hit the floor, writhing under the force of her will.

"I'm _God_, here. But you can call me Christabella. And _this_ is Silent Hill." The horrible pressure abated and the demon-child smiled sweetly. "I suppose you're wondering what this place is, what _I_ am, and why _you're_ here. Well…" Sitting down cross-legged, she rested her cheek on one palm and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, a corrupted image of childish whimsy.

"I guess I'll start with Silent Hill. A long time ago, longer than all the time I've been dead, Silent Hill was overrun with life— happy, disgusting, pathetic lives. It was a romantic getaway, a good place to bring the kids. A place that made you think of Jimmy Stewart and angels and how wonderful life could be. _Jesus_. Fortunately, some people who called themselves 'The Order' fixed all that. They made it into my kind of town, a hell-spawned nightmare filled with monsters and demons and death…oh my!" She giggled and changed positions, leaning back and stretching her arms out behind her.

"And me? I'm _dead_. _Obviously_. I was killed here in Silent Hill by a man who did terrible things to me and never even got _busted _for it. Can you _believe_ that shit? Anyway, I came back— it doesn't matter how— and ever since then, I've been kicking serious ass. I took out Whately and The Order, my big sister Lauryn, and I _almost_ had that little bitch Alessa out of the way too, but _she's_ no longer an issue. A few years ago, I made a deal with King Mickey. I did a favor for him, and he was supposed to help get complete control over Silent Hill. I held up my end of the bargain, but that bastard rodent tricked me—he helped me take power, then sealed me in. I guess he thought I'd attack his worlds. I wasn't _going_ to, but whatever."

"Now, why _you're_ here. I used my magic to bring you back for one purpose and one purpose only—you're going to help me escape and bring destruction and horror to all the worlds under King Mickey's protection. Do this for me, and in return, I'll give you all the one thing you want most."

There was a collective intake of breath, and the Nobodies leaned forward in anticipation. Christabella smirked. "That's right—I'll give you hearts. But you have to follow the conditions— and there's only one, really. _I'm the boss_. I say 'Kill this person', you say, 'How slowly?' got it? So, what do you say? Will you help me? Pretty please with sugar on top?"

Larxene was the first to break the silence. "So…you're saying we're only subordinate to you? No one else?"

"Pretty much."

Larxene's eyes brightened. She stared at Xemnas for a moment before taking an eager step towards Christabella. "I'm in."

"If we do this…you'll really give us hearts?" Demyx looked doubtful.

"Hey, a deal's a deal. You help me, I help you."

The Nocturne thought for a moment, then took a shaky step forward. He was followed quickly by Xigbar. One by one, they all stepped up to Christabella, until only Axel remained. He'd been staring pensively at the floor the entire time. He looked up and locked eyes with the child.

"What exactly does helping you involve?"

Christabella smirked. "Not much, really. _I'm_ sealed in, but _you're_ free to come and go as you please— provided I _let_ you— the bind-spell will have no effect on _you_. All you have to do is go where I can't, and spread Silent Hill to the other worlds. And help me escape, of course."

Axel was quiet for a moment. "Can I talk to you privately?"

The dead girl snorted and crossed her arms. "I'm a busy girl. Make it snappy." She and Axel walked off to the side. Axel whispered something in her ear, and Christabella considered, then nodded.

"Sure, sure. That'll be easy. But you'll have to do something _special_ to earn it."

"_Anything_."

Christabella smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now, hold out your hand."

Axel did so, albeit mistrustfully.

Walking quickly over to the church altar and back, Christabella returned with a small, rusty dagger. Axel started, but before he could pull his hand back, Christabella had slit a long line across his palm. Grabbing his arm, she put her lips to the wound and began sucking at it greedily. The Flurry shuddered in disgust…then convulsed in pain. It felt like something was forcing it's way through his blood stream. He watched with a distant fascination as _something _seemed to crawl around under his skin. When Christabella pulled back, he felt more alive than ever.

"You've probably noticed by now that haven't been able to summon your weapons and elements properly. That's because I hadn't yet resurrected you fully— try it now." She commanded.

Axel obediently flicked his wrist, trying for only a small fire. What he got was a white-hot jet of flame that sent a blast of scorching heat into the air. Axel flinched, quickly extinguishing it and feeling his face, expecting it to be blistered and burnt. He felt nothing—his eyebrows weren't even singed.

Christabella gave a self-satisfied smile. "If you're going to work for me, you're going to have to be tough enough to handle a lot more than a child with a blunt object. So, I'm upping the ante, increasing your elemental powers and your resistance to them."

Larxene, awed by Axel's little display, quickly strode up to Christabella. "Me, next!" She demanded.

Marluxia looked uncomfortable, and made as if to hold her back, but quickly thought better of it. He watched with growing unease as his constant companion shoved Axel aside and held her palm out to the tiny child in front of her. The procedure was repeated, and as soon as it ended, Larxene bolted—_literally. _The Nymph actually _became her element_, living lightning flashing through the church with blinding speed and intensity before finally coming to a halt at Christabella's feet. Larxene, once again flesh and bone, knelt in front of the girl, panting hard with a look of exhilaration and genuine gratitude shining on her face. "Marluxia, you have _got_ to try this!"

"Hey, do I get to do that?" Axel questioned, clearly jealous.

Christabella rolled her eyes. "_Try_ it and find _out_, dummy."

Axel tried, and succeeded rather remarkably. "Yeah! Burn, baby! You guys have to call me the Human Torch from now on! Human Torch, got it _memorized_? _Flame on_! _Whoo_!"

Marluxia frowned. "Most impressive, Christabella. How are you doing it?"

"All I'm doing is letting you tap into an unlimited power source— Silent Hill."

"Which _you_ control. I can only assume that letting this power enhance us gives you some measure of influence over _us_, as well?" Lexaeus rumbled, putting a protective hand on Zexion's shoulder. The dead girl merely shrugged, smiling innocently.

"Call it insurance. Can't have you double-crossing me like Mickey, now, can I?"

Lexaeus stared coldly at her, and Marluxia gave a thin smile, clearly un-amused. Demyx stood on tip-toe and peered over Xigbar's shoulder.

"Hey, this enhancey-stuff…will it hurt?"

Christabella grinned. "Oh, _my_ yes. _Terribly_."

Demyx gulped and quickly darted back behind Xigbar, who patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Saix stepped forward, now, face dark and defiant.

"And what if we refuse to recognize you as our leader?"

"Oh, that's easy! _I'll end you, shit-head_. Slowly and painfully. I'm _very_ good at that— I've had a lot of practice, y'know. There was this one guy? I kept him _alive, awake, aware,_ and _screaming_ for, like, _six weeks_. Cross me, and I'll see if I can break my own record."

Saix held her gaze for a long moment, then glanced at Xemnas, who gave his head a small shake. Reluctantly, the Luna Diviner backed down. Xaldin, who was standing next to him, cocked his head, looking curious, impressed, and skeptical, all at the same time.

"How exactly did you manage to do that? How does a kid like you—albeit, a _powerful_ kid—do something like what you just described?"

Christabella smiled darkly. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure you'll get to see me and Silent Hill in action soon enough. _Then_ you'll understand. Now, are we _done_ with the Q&A, or do you have thirty-thousand _other_ fucking questions you wanna ask me?" Her query was met with silence, which seemed to please her.

"Well then, boys and girls, step right up."

--

Minutes later, all twelve Nobodies were infected with Christabella's Darkness, and the church fell into chaos as several of them tested their powers at once. Demyx was happily melting into puddles of water and splashing Xigbar, who was distracting himself by levitating objects, then taking them apart and re-shaping them as if they were Rubix cubes. The building shook and rocked as Xaldin generated multiple tornados around the perimeter. Axel was experimenting with a flame so hot it was blue, and Larxene was leaping from wall to wall, performing acrobatics at dizzying speeds and flashing in and out of a state of pure electric being.

"This is pretty freakin' sweet!" Exclaimed Xigbar, who had just molded a chair into a miniature surfboard.

"I know, right? I'm all _sloshy_!"

"Look! I've _never_ burned this hot before!"

"_I've_ never been this _fast_ before!"

Xaldin simply nodded, too enthralled with watching his cyclones rage outside the stained glass windows to speak.

Zexion, meanwhile, had taken to using his illusions to change their setting, gleefully flipping through scenes as though he were a little boy with a remote control. "Lexaeus, look at this! It's truly remarkable—she's enhanced my illusions to the point where I can almost fool _myself_. They even _smell_ real."

Which was true—the Schemer was currently projecting a beach scene, and Lexaeus could smell the salt air and feel splashes of sea spray dot his skin. The roar of the ocean and the way his boots sunk into the sand completed the illusion. Zexion snapped his fingers, and the scene disappeared. "Try your element, now."

Lexeaus shook his head. "Some of the others and myself feel that it would be prudent to wait before experimenting. Perhaps when we are…in better company." The large man's eyes quickly flicked to Christabella and back.

Zexion saw, and nodded. "Yes, on second thought, maybe that would be best." Vexen, Xemnas, Saix, Marluxia, and, surprisingly enough, Luxord, were all standing back, not at all participating in the frenzied play of the other six. Zexion, who was curious by nature, spoke to Luxord quietly. "I would have thought you'd be joining in the fun. You were always one to enjoy playtime…"

Luxord shook his head. "This isn't playtime, despite what that little girl may want you to think. This is _deadly _serious. I don't know what game she's playing, but I don't like or understand it, and you _never_ play a game if you don't know the rules."

Larxene skidded to a stop next to Luxord, apparently having overheard him even while racing manically to and fro. "What are you _talking_ about, Lux? We know the rules—obey Christabella. That's _it_. That's _all_ we have to do."

Luxord shook his head, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "Oh, no, there's more to it. There's _always_ more. Trust me on this."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Whatever. And Marluxia? What about you? I expect this from _them_, but you? Standing to the side like some wall-flower is _so_ beneath you. Come and play!"

Marluxia's jaw tightened. "Thank you, Larxene, but I'm afraid I must pass this time. I believe Lexaeus' judgement in this case is quite sound—I will wait until we are unobserved by prying eyes." He glared venomously at Christabella, who curtsied and giggled.

"All this fuss over lil' ol' me? You're gonna make me _blush_. And as for as waiting 'till you're alone goes—you can scrap _those_ plans, Pinky. You're _never_ alone. Not _here_."

"Don't worry about them. They're just not used to taking orders from a girl." Larxene paused, smirking. "Especially _Vexen_. He's _always_ had problems with admitting others' superiority."

Axel snorted. "Got that right. Hey, Vexen, why don't you lighten up a little, pal? I'll even play a game with you. Here, catch!" So saying, Axel tossed a tiny fireball in the scientist's general direction. It fizzled out harmlessly and quickly, causing no one any harm.

Unfortunately for Axel, the Chilly Academic still had his own recent death-by-immolation fresh in mind, and overreacted slightly by summoning his shield and sending out a blast of ice so powerful that it actually froze the red head solid. If not for Axel's internal furnace, the man would have been killed instantly by the cold.

A collective gasp rose from the assembly—not out of concern for Axel, but from the sight of Vexen's shield. The weapon had been altered radically. No longer blue and white, the massive shield was now the color of dried blood and rust, and the spikes that adorned the edges were of jagged, blackened metal and significantly larger than before. Immediately, every single Nobody (with the exception of Axel, who was trying desperately to melt the ice he was encased in) summoned their weapons. Theirs, too, were altered in much the same manner.

Demyx was particularly horrified to find that his sitar strings seemed to be made out of human hair. The pages and cover of Zexion's lexicon were of what was apparently dried, leathery flesh, and Luxord's cards now displayed images of brutality and violence so disturbing that he could not bear to look at them.

The only ones who seemed pleased with this turn of events were Larxene, who proclaimed that she very much liked the color scheme and the fact that her kunai now slightly resembled scalpels, and Xigbar, who was quite happy to be wielding a shotgun and a baretta, neither of which were purple. The group's study of their weapons was interrupted by a loud and chattery "F-F-F-FUCK!" from Axel, who had partially freed himself from his sub-zero prison. For the next ten minutes while he thawed, Axel would frequently repeat this sentiment and nothing else.

Larxene smirked and turned to Vexen. "Not bad, old man. Nice to finally see that you _have_ a pair."

"Hold your tongue, insolent girl!" The older blond clenched his fists in fury.

The sadist huffed and tossed her head. "Calm down, ancient one! I was only _complimenting_ you! Just because you're higher in the Organization doesn't mean you can take offense to any little thing you—" She stopped in mid sentence, eyes widening. Quickly, she turned to Christabella. "Hey, if you're our boss now, that means the Organization structure is no longer in effect, right? Which means none of them are my superiors anymore? And I can do whatever the hell I want, and _they can't stop me_?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. You only take orders from me, and as long as you don't kill each other, I don't care _how_ you fuckers interact."

A countenance of awe and wonder came across Larxene's face. Hand over her mouth, she took a slow look around her, glancing over all of her fellow Organization members. She appeared joyfully overwhelmed, like a little girl who just got the pony she'd always asked for, and an odd faraway expression came into her eyes. One could almost see the wheels turning in her head—and when she finally smiled, no one in the room, not even _Marluxia_, liked the look of it.

--

After a bit more playtime, Christabella finally called her new thralls to order. "Alright, everybody shut the fuck up and _listen_. Those outfits you're wearing are _totally_ faggy, and I'm frankly ashamed of you for wearing them. Your first order is to go to the mall and get some decent fucking clothes. It's not far from here, and I've already given my monsters the order to leave you unharmed. Now get going, and _seriously_, if you fail this mission? I will stuff your mouths full of your own intestines. Now, get the fuck out."

--

The Starlight Cantina was particularly lively tonight—Riku couldn't help but wonder if Sora and Kairi had known it would be. They were forever trying to coax him into social situations, despite the fact that _they_ were all he _really_ needed. He sighed as Sora dragged him onto the dance floor.

"Look, look! I see her!" The brunette pointed to the glass of the DJ booth, where Kairi was busily pounding out a truly infectious beat and waving enthusiastically at them. "C'mon, let's go over and hang out!"

Riku's arm was nearly jerked out of its socket as Sora tugged him along like an over-excited puppy.

_I would so much rather be at home right—_

**She's done it. She's made the deal.**

Riku tripped over his own feet, smacking into several club goers and bloodying his own nose.

_What?! Dammit, Sasha, how many times do I have to tell you, give me some warning! I—_

**She's done it, she's got her pawns in place, the pieces are in place she's making her move she's coming soon SHE'S COMING**

_Oh, no, this again? Look, you still haven't made it clear who or what is coming. Who's—_

"Hey, Riku, you okay?"

"What? I…yeah, Sora, I'm fine, I just—"

**COMING TO GET HER SHE'S COMING TO GET HER **

"I just-"

**SHE WANTS THE GOD-CHILD SHE WANTS YOU SHE WANTS THE KEY-BEARER ALL **

"_Riku?!_ Hey, Riku! Snap out of it! _What's wrong_?"

**I'LL KEEP YOU ALL SAFE **

"Sora I—I have to go!" _Sasha, wait 'till I'm alone! _Riku bolted headlong for the bathroom, crashing through a stall and crumpling to the floor. The Chaos in his mind was overwhelming.

The vision hit him hard.

Even from behind, he could tell the child was evil—the angelic white dress didn't fool him—he could feel her bad intentions, her hate, her hurt, her rage. Her _Darkness_, so very unlike his own. She was standing in a church of most unholy nature, talking to a group of shadowy figures that couldn't be made out clearly. _Long black hair, white dress._ Heengraved the image into his memory, knowing somehow that he would need to remember this._ Is this her? The one who's coming for us? Is she Silent Hill? _He could feel Sasha reeling in his mind, doing her best to collect herself, to be orderly despite the pain it caused her.

**SHE'S COMING TO KILL YOU ALL**

**WON'T LET IT HAPPEN**

**PROTECT YOU PROTECT THE GOD-CHILD PROTECT THE KEY-BEARER**

--

Kairi snuggled close between Riku and Sora (it was her turn to be in the middle tonight) and furrowed her brow, concerned. After Riku's little freak-out, Sora had found him collapsed in a bathroom stall, and he and Kairi decided that it was time to take their friend home. Riku insisted he was fine and just needed sleep, and the three immediately went to bed, though Kairi was not at all sleepy. She supposed it didn't matter—she'd fall asleep just fine anyway.

-_-_

_"Namine?"_

_"…Yes?"_

_"Do you know where we are?"_

_The two girls stood holding hands in the middle of an abandoned, fog-covered street. Ash rained gently from above, and a siren wailed in the distance. Namine turned and looked at Kairi with a pair of eyes exactly the same as her own._

_"…I think we're home, Kairi."_

**A/N-For those of you who are confused: Sasha is the name Riku gave to his Darkness. The Darkness itself is neither male nor female, but Riku percieves it as being feminine, and Sasha doesn't seem to mind. **


	5. Chapter 5

**So. Apparently guilt-tripping works, seeing as how I suddenly received some reviews. I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to drop me a line. For those of you who didn't...shame on you. Everytime you read and don't review, God kills a baby. Keep that in mind.**

_**CH. 5—Shop 'Till You Drop**_

**I & VII**

Saix had never liked clothing—not even when he'd had a heart. This was mainly because clothing was of little use to a werewolf. Garments had a tendency to shred and get in the way, and the wolf in him had certainly never seen any reason for them. Given a choice, Saix would have simply gone naked, but just as Ais had been prevailed upon by Jack Skellington, so Saix was by Xemnas. Still, the Alpha's influence only went so far. Saix was currently wearing a pair of jeans and nothing else, utterly refusing to compromise further.

"Saix, _really_, it's…it's simply _indecent_."

"What's indecent is wearing anything _else_. I'm sorry, Superior, but on this I must remain firm. _No further articles of clothing_."

Xemnas sighed in exasperation, but dropped the issue. The former Organization leader was himself clad in a high-quality gray business suit with a black silk tie. The fit was good, and Saix thought it suited him quite nicely. Then again, Saix thought everything looked good on Xemnas. Ever since he'd first been discovered by the silver-haired Nobody, naked and living like a feral dog in the woods outside of Halloween Town, Saix had felt an unshakeable loyalty towards him. He'd taken Saix from living alone and purposeless in the dark and brought him as close to the light as a Nobody could get, given him hope, given him shelter, given him a reason for being. He'd given him Kingdom Hearts, and in return...Saix truly lived to serve.

Of course, convincing Saix to wear clothes had been an issue even in the early days, and most of the time, he'd simply gone nude under his Organization uniform. However, despite Xemnas' frustration and disapproval, Saix did not believe the Superior had anything personally against his preference for nudity. In fact, his extraordinarily orange eyes were roving rather suspiciously up and down Saix's exposed body.

"Superior?"

Xemnas raised his gaze slowly to Saix's face. "While I appreciate the sentiment, I am your Superior no longer, Saix. I believe the title now goes to that wretched demon-child, Christabella."

Saix's face darkened. "_Never_. You will _always_ be our leader." He growled out forcefully, shoulders straight and head held high. "The others may forget that, but _I_ will _not_."

Xemnas chuckled. "You surprise me, Saix. I assumed your loyalty to me was based solely on my position in the Organization…but apparently, still waters run deep. I wonder," he took a step forward, eyes boring holes through the bluenette. "What exactly_ is_ your attachment to me? "

Saix's breath caught in his throat. It made no sense—he was heartless, unfeeling—so what was this sensation rising in his chest? This panic that wasn't panic, but rather, something far more pleasant? The Superior stepped closer. Saix never completely understood the level of the devotion he felt towards his leader. He had a feeling, however, that if he had a heart, he would be infatuated.

"Such loyalty…should be rewarded, don't you think?" One cool hand slipped over Saix's cheek, pulling him close. Smirking, Xemnas leaned in and—

"Saix! Saix, are you listening?"

The Berserker jerked violently out of his fantasy, groaning inwardly at the unexpected intrusion from the object of his…desire? Allegiance? Worship? He didn't know. _Something_, certainly. Thinks were so complicated when you couldn't truly feel.

"Certainly I was, Superior. You were outlining your plan to re-build Kingdom Hearts in case that horrid child goes back on her word. An _excellent_ plan, if I may say so, Superior."

Xemnas was pleased. It seemed Saix was the only one who actually paid him any mind, especially now that Christabella had wrested control away from him. Though, to be honest, towards the end of their long-going battle with Sora, Xemnas had noticed a distinct lack of morale among his lackeys, a few side-long glances, sneers, smirks…little things, but displays of subordination nevertheless. Perhaps it was best the Organization had dissolved—a mutiny was not something he looked forward to dealing with.

He was not the best leader, he knew that. But it had seemed only natural that he should rise to power, and at the time, no one had questioned him…though this probably had a lot to do with the fact that he could have turned them all into dusks with a snap of his fingers. But as time went on, it became more and more apparent that Xemnas had no idea what he was doing. After a certain point, he'd simply started making things up. Still, through it all, Saix remained constantly faithful. "Excellent. You were listening after all. Now then, as I was saying…"

--

**II & IX**

"Hey, kiddo, how's it coming?"

The response was a muffled "Stupid pants!" Demyx had never really gotten the hang of pants—this probably stemmed from having a fish tail for most of his life. Any sort of clothing relating to his lower half was bound to leave him baffled—something Xigbar was happy to take advantage of. Actually, Demyx had never really gotten the hang of _legs_, either. His movements tended to be awkward, with little spasms and jerks thrown in at random intervals. Sometimes, his upper body would lurch forward or backward unexpectedly—trying to swim.

There was a rustling as Demyx finished up in the changing room. Xigbar, clad in a purple and white Hawaiian shirt with a white tank under it, a pair of knee-length khaki shorts, and flip-flops, waited patiently for what Demyx excitedly referred to as "The Fashion Show" to begin. Sometimes, Xigbar worried about Demyx.

"Ta-daa!"

Xigbar had to admit, he was impressed. Demyx had managed to put together a decent outfit. He presented himself in a blue, tie-dyed, sea turtle T-shirt and tight, stylishly faded jeans with expertly placed holes in the knees. Flip-flops similar to Xigbar's and a shark's tooth necklace completed the ensemble.

The Free Shooter clapped his approval and got up, walking towards the young man. "Good job, Demy. One thing, though—I think your pants are on backwards."

The Nocturne's face fell, clearly disappointed in himself. "Aw, _man_. That's probably why the button was in the back. I was all, 'That's stupid, they should put it in the front!' Except, they really _do_ put it in the front, I just did it wrong. Pants _suck_."

Xigbar stood in front of Demyx, smirking down at him. "I agree," He said. "Let's get you out of them."

The next thing Demyx knew, his pants were around his ankles, and Xigbar was giving him an appreciative ogling. Demyx could not for the life of him understand why bare flesh seemed to excite Xigbar so much—in Atlantica, everyone had been mostly naked, and Demyx's body was certainly not anything Xiggy hadn't seen before.

Another smirk, followed by a predatory chuckle. "You forgot underwear, too, kiddo. I keep telling you about that…"

"Darn it! I can't get anything righ—" He was cut off by Xigbar's lips on his. Large hands slowly encircled his waist and pulled him close.

_Krrrrk k k k krrk…_

Both Nobodies froze.

"D—did you hear that?" The noise was familiar to Demyx. _The click of tendons, stretched tight by rigor mortis... _Slowly, Demyx, pulled up his pants (the _right _way, this time). "It's behind me, right?"

Xigbar nodded staring over his shoulder.

"Is it the nurses again?" His voice cracked, fear penetrating it.

Xigbar shook his head slowly. "No. No, they're…_mannequins_."

_Mannequins? What the heck?_ Demyx turned around cautiously, and found himself staring into a pair of…legs. A pair of legs on legs. It was as if someone had cut two women in half, then sewn one waist on top of the other. The top set kicked slightly, and the bottom pair lurched forward.

_Krrrrk k k k krrk …_

"Head for the door, Demyx."

"Chr—Christabella said…that they wouldn't attack—"

"And I'm going to make sure it doesn't. Get going. _Now_."

Demyx didn't need to be told a third time. Fleeing the store, (entitled _Pacific Sun_) Demyx heard several loud reports as Xiggy blew the mannequin away. When the older man emerged from the store, he was wiping blood spatter off his face with a random T-shirt he had grabbed on the way out.

"Did you…get it?"

Xigbar nodded grimly. "As if I'd miss?"

--

**III & X**

"How do I look?"

"Like James Bond."

"Smashing!"

Xaldin sighed as he watched Luxord adjust his bow tie. One way or another, the Brit had somehow talked Xaldin into accompanying him on their "mission", and now, the Lancer was constantly fending off invitations to slip into the changing room, or help Luxord get out of one outfit or another. It now seemed, however, that the insatiable creature had finally settled on an extremely expensive-looking tuxedo. Xaldin felt himself bristle as the Gambler of Fate turned from his own reflection and eyed him with condescension.

"You know, Xally, I could fix you up a bit…"

"The _hell_ you will. And stop calling me that." Xaldin was quite happy with his appearance, thank you very much. In fact, he thought he looked rather snazzy. From his Bob Marley shirt to his carpenter jeans and Air Jordans, Xaldin felt that he was just as stylish as Luxord, in his own way.

Though he'd be damned if the blonde didn't make that tux look good.

Xaldin rose heavily from the changing room couch and examined the price tag that had fluttered to the ground after being unceremoniously torn off and tossed away. He gave a low whistle. "Thank God we don't have to pay for this. Do you just instinctively gravitate towards the most expensive item in any store?"

"Naturally. Good taste is in my breeding. There's nothing wrong with appreciating the finer things in life, Xally. Especially when they're throwing themselves at you." He gave Xaldin a long stare. The Lancer didn't even blink. Frustrated, Luxord turned away. Impossible man! Why couldn't he just play the damn game, for once? Solitaire was growing terribly boring, and Xaldin had already proven himself to be a capable player, even if it _was_ an isolated incident. Perhaps it was time to up the stakes...but that could wait until later. In the meantime, Luxord would hold onto his current hand and continue to watch the cards Xaldin put down.

--

**IV & VIII**

Frozen solid.

Vexen stared pridefully at his achievement—_an entire lake frozen solid_. A rather _large_ lake, at that. The scientist had long ago wandered from the mall, having settled rather quickly on a white turtleneck, khaki pants, and the first pair of shoes that happened to fit (Nike's, as it were). Touching his hand to the lake's now solid surface, Vexen closed his eyes and felt his internal thermometer quickly drop. Among his talents as a Nobody, the Chilly Academic could tell you the exact temperature of anything, Celcius or Farenheit. His eyes eased open.

_No, that can't be right… _He tried a second time, then a third. _Incredible…it shouldn't be possible, but…_

Absolute zero.

It was a level of cold previously thought by the world of science to be unreachable, and he, Vexen, had reached it. He drew his hand back, overwhelmed by the glory of it all. He stood slowly, his head in a fog.

"Absolute Zero. Zero degrees Kelvin. Zero degrees Rankin. The point at which all molecular motion ceases, except for what is required by the quantum mechanical effect of zero-point energy. Results in other odd quantum effects, such as super-conductivity and super-fluidity. Supposed impossible to attain."

He paused, an almost lunatic grin spreading across his face. "Except, I've done it. _I've done it_." Scientific triumph consumed him, but was soon replaced by something else altogether.

Revenge. He was ready to face Axel now. He'd have to remember to thank Christabella.

Axel was easy to find. The brute was still in the mall, admiring his reflection in a store's full-length mirror. His attire certainly suited him. Costumed in knee-high black Converses with flames crawling up them, super skinny blue-jeans, and a red wife-beater, he looked like what he was—a simple thug, murderous gutter-trash who would turn on you in an instant.

By the time Axel saw Vexen in the mirror, it was too late. There was a loud crash as a four-foot icicle shattered the mirror, sending glass shards everywhere and opening a shallow wound on the red-head's bicep as it shot past him.

"Vexen! How ya doin', old man?"

Vexen snarled at the greeting. The impertinent youth didn't even turn around to face him, his voice utterly cheerful, as though greeting an old friend. The scientist clenched his fists, but was quickly soothed by the small trickle of blood that oozed down his murderer's arm. "I assume you know what I want to talk about, Axel."

Axel turned to face the old coot, wearing a neutral, mildly amused expression that was sure to piss the crazy bastard off. "Talk? Seems to me like you came to do a bit more than _that_…"

"I had to catch your feeble attention _somehow_, didn't I? I believe I've made my point." He sucked in a deep breath and quickly closed the gap between Axel and himself, getting right up in the younger man's face. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "You traitorous piece of _filth_. I burned from the inside. I could feel myself _cooking_. I could smell my hair and flesh burning in the smoke that blinded and choked me. _Do you have any idea what that's like_?"

An odd expression came over Axel's face, the look of one who has just remembered something better left forgotten. "Yeah," he murmured, voice distant. "Yeah, actually, I do."

Vexen lunged, and Axel jumped back, chakrams at the ready. He'd never seen the seen the scientist this angry. For that matter, he'd never seen the scientist this _anything_. Vexen had always been so…_mild_. Axel had never truly believed that Nobodies were emotionless, and the cool hatred that crept over Vexen's face like an insidious frost was doing a lot to back his theory up. But now he was calming, seeming to catch hold of himself. Vexen straightened and gave Axel a look of pure malice, hard eyes glittering in his angular face like chips of angry ice.

"I did not come here for a fight, VIII. I simply came to tell you this: I know what you asked Christabella for, and when you finally get it, I will be there to ruin it for you and make all your dreams turn sour."

Axel stiffened in shock, and Vexen chuckled at the sight. "Surprised, are you? You're a very predictable man, Axel. It's all too easy to see what _you_ want most. Selfish wretch that you are, you can't be satisfied with a mere _heart_, no, you want so much more. Well, I sincerely hope Christabella grants your wish, because I'm going to make sure it makes you miserable. I only thought it fair to warn you—which is more than _you_ did for _me_."

Having spoken his piece, Vexen left, leaving Axel alone to reflect in silence among the helpless shards of a broken mirror.

--

**V & VI**

Lexeaus and Zexion meandered aimlessly through the mall. Now that they had their new clothes (Zexion clad in a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and high-top sneakers, while Lexaeus wore a plain white t-shirt with jeans and workman's boots), their "mission" was complete, leaving them a bit of free time to enjoy each other's company, and discuss…well, the only thing there was to discuss, really.

"I don't think she's real." Zexion said as they entered the food court. He grabbed a seat, smoothing out his shirt as he did so. Zexion could never stand to look anything less than utterly presentable, and wrinkled clothing irked him.

Lexaeus quirked an eyebrow, sitting down next to him. "Beg your pardon?"

"Christabella. I don't think she's real. She's got to be some kind of illusion, all though if she is, it's an illusion that I can't sense…perhaps she is merely someone's puppet? Yes, that _has_ to be it, a servant of a higher power. That seems probable."

"What makes you say that? The child seemed real enough to me, although your powers of detecting trickery far exceed mine. Was it something about her scent?"

"Partly. She doesn't really _have_ a scent, though that may simply come from being undead. What I mean is that it seems unlikely that a little girl could wield so much power. So much _evil_. Her magic outclasses Maleficent—a child shouldn't be capable of such skill."

Lexaeus thought for a moment. "If she was truly an illusion, you of all people would know. And I do not believe she serves another—her personality would not allow it, and no being in their right mind would trust her to serve beneath them. Do you really believe she's a fake, or do you simply _want_ to believe it?"

Zexion was quiet for a moment. Rather than answer, he chose to change the subject completely. "How do you suppose she's going to use us to escape?"

"I can only assume she will exploit our ability to travel through Darkness."

"You mean, just have us open a massive portal?"

Lexaeus nodded.

"And the odds of her really giving us hearts?"

"I believe she will keep her word…"

"I sense a 'but' coming."

The larger man paused, then looked away. "But, I think she plans to kill us immediately after."

Zexion hesitated, then looked up at his lover, smiling sadly. "You know, that's exactly what I thought, too. Do you…do you suppose there's any way to stop her?"

"I don't know. But we have to try."

After a long moment of silence, Lexaeus offered his hand to Zexion, who took it gratefully. The two men sat in utter quiet, pondering their own mortality and how much they would love each other, if only they could.

--

**XI & XII**

"I like her. This is _much_ better than working for Xemnas." Larxene posed for herself in the mirror, positively preening. She'd found a wonderful store called _Victoria's Secret_, and in it, she'd managed to locate an electric blue, strapless corset with black lace trim and leather cords lacing up the front. She had kept the form-fitting black leather pants and high-heeled boots that went under her Organization uniform.

Marluxia frowned and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall opposite her. He, too, had kept his Organization pants and boots, but had adorned his upper half with a silk, forest green button-down shirt, a treasure that had been discovered in _Dolce & Gabbana_. "I'm not so sure. Xemnas doesn't have the pervading sense of evil and treachery that seems to cling so heavily to Christabella."

"That's the part I like about her."

Marluxia sighed and pushed himself off the wall. "Is that all, Larxene? Because I thought…well, given how she _died_…what that man _did_ to her…"

Larxene went rigid. "You thought I sympathized? Is that it?" She whirled on him. "You really think I'm that _pathetic_?"

"No, no, of course not. It's just…the similarities between _your_ becoming a Nobody and _her_ death..." Marluxia smiled inwardly. This was exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. Jesus, she was so _easy_ to manipulate, he'd have her turning against Christabella and loyal to only himself again in no time. Larxene viewed emotions as weaknesses. If he implied that Christabella made her emotional, she would denounce the child in an attempt to prove herself cold and unfeeling.

"I'm _well aware_ of the _similarities_, thank you." She snapped, agitated. "I don't know why you'd even _bring it up. _We're heartless, remember? We're _stronger_ than that."

Perfect. Everything was going just as he—

"And I'm s_marter_ than that. Naughty, naughty, Marluxia, trying to manipulate me in so _obvious_ a manner!"

Marluxia froze. Her voice was suddenly higher and more childish than usual. It was the voice she used when she was at her most dangerous. Marluxia quickly locked eyes with her. "Manipulate you? My dear Nymph, you are mistaken. I would never disrespect you like—"

"Oh, _no_, I'm _quite_ sure you wouldn't. Because you're my _ally_, isn't that right, Marly? And allies don't do things like that. Allies also don't…oh, I don't know…gut each other and electrocute their insides until they cook. No, allies don't do _that_." She paused, smiling sweetly at the Assasin. "Good thing _we're_ allies, right? And you would _never ever_ try that on me, and I would _never ever_ try that on you, right?"

Marluxia licked his lips. He'd forgotten that at the time Larxene had been taking orders from him, he'd outranked her. He did not have this advantage now. Apparently, her loyalty to him had never been quite solid as he'd thought. He smiled at her, face a confident mask while he prepared to summon his scythe, if necessary. "Of course, Larxene. I can't imagine where you'd even get such an idea. Shall we head back to the church? I'm sure Christabella will be expecting us, and we certainly wouldn't want to keep her waiting, would we?" He offered his arm to her. If she didn't take it…well, worst-case scenario, he'd have to summon his scythe after all.

"No, we certainly wouldn't." Her voice returned to normal, and just like that, the tension in the room was gone. Larxene smiled and hooked her arm through his. She'd established that she was no longer his puppet, and that was all she had intended to do. She truly liked Marluxia, and it would be a terrible shame to have to kill him. Then who would she go shopping with?

--

"Riku, what are you doing?"

The silver-haired boy stopped in his tracks, arms full of grocery bags.

"I'm…uh…stocking up on canned goods and bottled water." He offered the bag to Kairi, who peered inside and saw that this was indeed the case.

"Is there a hurricane coming?"

"…Maybe. _Something's_ coming. I…I'm still trying to figure out what."

Kairi cocked her head. "Are you feeling okay? You've been acting strange ever since you passed out at the Cantina. Do you want to go to the campus nurse?"

"No…but we should probably get her to stock up on medical supplies. I'm sure we'll need them."

The brunette just stared at him. "You…wait right here, okay?" She left the room and was back in an instant, dragging a dismayed Sora with her.

"Un-cool, Kairi! I was watching the Power Puff Girls!"

"This is more important. Riku, tell Sora what you just told me."

Riku complied. Sora scratched at his goatee and considered. "Dude. That's pretty whacked out. Are you feeling okay? Are you hearing voices again? Maybe we should go see the King…"

"Yes, that's a good idea! We can warn him, too. Or maybe he knows what it is…"

Sora looked confused. "What _what_ is?"

"Silent Hill."

There was a sharp intake of breath as Kairi, reeling as though she'd been struck, sank to her knees. Both boys were on her in an instant.

"Are you okay?" They asked in unison. Kairi looked a bit dazed.

"Yeah, I…that name…it sounds familiar…I…"

_Swirling mist. Darkness. A dank, dingy room, cramped and frightening and smelling of blood. A woman with blond hair and cold blue eyes stands over her, smiling vaguely. Monstrous shadows glide through the darkness behind her. She touches Kairi's face in a tender, motherly fashion. "Oh, Kairi, you look just like her. I knew you would be the one we were looking for. The God-Child has been chosen. Soon, you will return Alessa to us, and we will have our perfect world..."_

"Kairi? Hello?"

"Huh?" The girl shook her head, disoriented. What had just happened? "I just…had some kind of memory or something resurface. I...I'm a little confused. There was a woman…and something about a God-Child—"

The sound of tin cans hitting the floor startled both brunettes. Riku had dropped the bags and was silently mouthing the words "God-Child".

"Holy…it's you. Whatever she was talking about, she meant you. You're one of the targets." Riku walked over to Kairi and Sora and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Listen to me. Something terrible is coming, and I don't know exactly what it is, but it's coming for _us_. We need to be prepared. I want you both to put together a survival kit—just pack a back-pack full of necessities, and be ready to take that and run at all times. Will you do that?"

Sora looked disturbed. "Are people going to get hurt? We can't leave if people need our help—"

"We can help the other people after I make sure you and Kairi are safe. You two are my only priority, do you understand that?"

Sora nodded glumly.

Kairi crossed her arms and huffed. "God_dammit_. Just for _once_, why can't it be something simple, like a hurricane?"


End file.
